JP6444681B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to a label printer that prints desired information such as characters, symbols, figures, or barcodes on a label continuum.

  For example, when a label continuous body is conveyed by rotating the platen roller in a state where one end portion of the continuous label body wound in a roll is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller, the label printer A printer that prints desired information on a body label.

  In this label printer, an accommodation space for accommodating a roll-shaped continuous label is formed. In this accommodation space, a pair of guide portions that contact the end surface in the width direction of the roll-shaped label continuous body and guide the roll-shaped label continuous body are installed in a state that can move in the width direction of the label continuous body. Yes.

  About the guide structure of this roll-shaped label continuous body, for example, there is a description in Patent Document 1, and a guide unit that guides the roll paper is provided in an accommodation space that accommodates the roll paper, and an operation unit that fixes the guide unit Is provided on the bottom side of the roll paper storage space.

JP 2008-12829 A

  However, since the guide described in Patent Document 1 is located below the roll paper accommodated by the operation unit, the guide unit that guides the roll-shaped continuous label is in a fixed state or in a fixed release state. It is difficult to understand whether the guide part is in a halfway state between the fixed state and the fixed release state, and there is a problem that sufficient consideration has not been made in operating the guide part. is there.

  The present invention has been made from the above technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the operability of a guide portion for guiding a print medium in a printer.

An aspect of the present invention includes a housing having an opening formed on one surface thereof, a printing medium housing portion that houses a printing medium in the opening of the housing, and the opening and closing of the printing medium housing portion. An opening / closing cover portion pivotally supported by the housing; a transport roller for transporting the print medium; a print portion provided in the housing facing the transport roller and for printing on the print medium; and the print in the medium containing portion, provided movably in the longitudinal direction of the conveying roller, and a guide portion for guiding the print medium, provided in a swingable state along the side face of the guide portion, operating portion and, biasing means to vary the energized by the position of the operation portion between the solid uncertain et fixing canceled or the guide portion for operating the locking and unlocking of the guide portion by its swing position And equipped with Engaging said comprising a biasing means for varying the biasing condition, the guide portion of the fixed by the position of the operation unit in until unlocking, and said guide portion and said operating unit, by the bias means And the biasing means biases the operation part in a direction to fix the guide part or a direction to release the fixed state of the guide part according to a swing position of the operation part, The operating portion has a protruding portion that protrudes from the guide portion when the guide portion is unfixed, and a concave portion that is recessed outward is provided on a side surface facing the moving direction of the guide portion inside the housing. The concave portion is provided on the side surface of the housing at a position facing the protruding portion that protrudes when the guide portion is unfixed .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the guide portion that guides the print medium in the printer from being halfway between the fixed state and the fixed release state. It becomes possible to improve.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the guide portion for guiding the print medium in the printer can be set to the fixed state and the fixed release state by applying a slight force to the operation portion, so that the operability of the guide portion is improved. It becomes possible to make it.
According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to improve the operability of the guide portion for guiding the print medium in the printer with a simple structure.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the operation part for operating the fixing and releasing of the guide part for guiding the print medium in the printer can be smoothly moved along the guide path. It becomes possible to improve.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the guide portion for guiding the print medium in the printer is released, the operation portion for operating the guide portion can be easily picked. Therefore, the guide portion is printed by picking the operation portion. It can be easily moved to fit the width of the medium. That is, it is possible to improve the operability of the guide unit that guides the print medium in the printer.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even when the operation portion for operating the guide portion is close to the inner side surface of the housing when the guide portion for guiding the print medium in the printer is released, the inner surface of the housing Since the operation portion can be easily picked by the concave portion, the guide portion can be easily moved to fit the width of the print medium by picking the operation portion. That is, it is possible to improve the operability of the guide unit that guides the print medium in the printer.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the swinging direction of the operation unit for fixing the guide unit for guiding the print medium in the printer can be easily determined, the operability of the guide unit can be improved. It becomes possible.

1A is an overall perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention in a normal issue state, and FIG. 1B is an overall perspective view of a release issue state of the printer of FIG. It is a whole perspective view which shows an example of the external appearance of the printer of FIG. 1, and a label continuous body in the open state of an opening-and-closing cover part. FIG. 1A is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer at the time of normal issuance in FIG. 1A viewed from the side, and FIG. 1B is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer at the time of issuance of peeling in FIG. is there. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a paper guide mechanism unit when the guide plate is unfixed in the printer of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the guide plate at the time of releasing the fixation in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the guide plate shown through the operation plate in FIG. 5. It is an expansion perspective view of the guide plate at the time of fixation. It is an enlarged side view of the guide plate at the time of fixation of FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the guide plate shown through the operation plate in FIG. 8. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the guide plate of FIG. 5. It is a principal part block diagram of the guide plate seen from the direction of arrow A5 of FIG. (A), (b) is an expansion perspective view of the engaging part of an operation board and an outer case. It is an enlarged side view of the modification of the guide plate at the time of fixation cancellation | release. (A) is the schematic block diagram which looked at the printer at the time of the accommodation process of a label continuous body from the front side, (b) is the outline which looked at the printer at the time of the accommodation process of the label continuous body following FIG. It is a block diagram. FIG. 14A is a schematic configuration view of the printer during the label continuum containing step subsequent to FIG. 14B viewed from the front side, and FIG. 15B is the printer during the label continuum containing step subsequent to FIG. It is the schematic block diagram which looked at from the front side. FIG. 15A is a schematic configuration view of the printer in the label continuum containing step subsequent to FIG. 15B viewed from the front side, and FIG. 16B is the printer in the label continuum containing step subsequent to FIG. It is the schematic block diagram which looked at from the front side.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted. The terms in the embodiment will be briefly described as follows. Peeling is issued when a continuous label (label with a mount) in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a long belt-like mount at a predetermined interval is used as a continuous label. The normal issue is a method of issuing from the printer without peeling off the label. Of course, when a label with a mount is issued without being peeled off the mount, there is no continuous label as the label continuum, and there is no continuous label or mount that is transported with the adhesive layer on one side exposed. Even when a non-mounting label such as a continuous sheet (continuous sheet) without an adhesive layer is used, normal issuance is applied.

  1A is an overall perspective view of the printer according to the present embodiment in a normal issue state, FIG. 1B is an overall perspective view of the printer shown in FIG. 1A, and FIG. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing an external appearance of an example of the printer of FIG. 1 and a label continuum in the open state.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 of the present embodiment is a portable label printer formed in, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, a peeling issuance for peeling and issuing labels one by one from a mount, It has a dual-type configuration that can switch between normal issuance without peeling off the label. The printer 1 can be used with the issue port side facing up (sideways), but a belt hook (not shown) provided on the entire outer surface of the printer 1 is hooked on the operator's belt, By attaching a shoulder belt (not shown) and hanging it on the operator's shoulder, it can also be used in a state where the issue port side is directed sideways (vertically placed). Here, as shown in FIG. 1A, the surface viewed from the direction of the arrow A1 is the front surface of the printer 1, the surface viewed from the direction of the arrow A2 is the back surface of the printer 1, and arrows A3 and A4 Each surface viewed from the direction is a side surface of the printer 1.

  As a printing medium of the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, a label continuum P having a long strip-shaped mount PM and a plurality of labels PL temporarily attached at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction thereof. (Label with mount) is used. The label affixing surface of the mount PM is coated with a non-adhesive release agent such as silicone so that the label PL can be easily peeled off. In addition, position detection marks (not shown) that indicate the positions of the labels PL are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction on the back surface of the label application surface of the mount PM. On the surface (printing surface) of the label PL, there is formed a thermosensitive coloring layer that develops a specific color (black, red, etc.) when reaching a predetermined temperature range.

  However, the print medium is not limited to a label with a mount, and can be variously changed. For example, a label without a mount that is transported with no mount and the adhesive layer exposed may be used. In this case, a position detection mark (not shown) indicating the position of the label is formed on the adhesive layer side of the label without a mount at every predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction. Further, the above-described thermosensitive coloring layer is formed on the surface of the label without a mount (the back surface of the surface on which the adhesive layer is formed, the printing surface). In addition, for example, the above-described continuous sheet may be used, and not only papers, but also a film (label without mount) that can be printed by a thermal head may be used. In the case of a continuous sheet or film, a position detection mark can be provided.

  The printer 1 includes an outer case 2, an opening / closing cover portion 3, a peeling unit portion 4, a paper storage portion (print medium storage portion) 6 (see FIG. 2), and a paper guide mechanism portion 7 (see FIG. 2). I have. The external case 2 is an external housing that forms a part of the outer shape of the printer 1, and has an operation portion Cp, a cover open button Bp, a pair of release lever portions Lc and Lc, and a cutter Ct on the surface on the issue port side. Etc. are installed. The operation unit Cp is an arrangement unit for buttons, panels, and the like for operating the printer 1. The cover open button Bp is a button for opening the opening / closing cover part 3. The release lever Lc is a lever for releasing the holding state of the peeling unit portion 4. The cutter Ct is a fixed blade for cutting the continuous label body P after printing.

  The open / close cover unit 3 is an open / close cover for the paper storage unit 6, and one end in the longitudinal direction of the open / close cover unit 3 (open end: the central side in the longitudinal direction of the external case 2) is separated from and approaches the external case 2. The other end in the longitudinal direction of the opening / closing cover 3 is pivotally supported by an opening / closing support shaft while being movable in the direction. The opening / closing cover 3 is urged in the opening direction (the direction in which the opening end of the opening / closing cover 3 is separated from the outer case 2) by a torsion spring disposed on the opening / closing support shaft at the other end in the longitudinal direction. Yes.

  A platen roller (conveyance roller) 10 is pivotally supported at the open end of the opening / closing cover 3 in a state of being rotatable in the forward and reverse directions. The platen roller 10 is a conveying unit that conveys the label continuum P, and is installed in a state of extending along the width direction (short direction) of the label continuum P. The platen roller 10 is made of, for example, a resin containing silicone or silicone rubber. A gear 10 b is connected to one end of the platen shaft 10 a of the platen roller 10. The gear 10b is mechanically connected to a drive motor (not shown) via a gear unit (not shown) when the open / close cover 3 is closed. The drive motor is composed of, for example, a stepping motor. In the vicinity of the platen roller 10 on the open end side of the opening / closing cover portion 3, a peeling pin 11 is provided in parallel. The peeling pin 11 is a peeling member that peels the label PL from the mount PM when using a label with a mount, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the open / close cover 3.

  The peeling unit portion 4 is a unit portion that peels off the label PL from the mount PM of the label continuum P at the time of release issuance, and divides the transport path between the mount PM and the label PL, and a nip roller 4a is rotatable at the tip portion thereof. Supported by the state. As shown in FIG. 1A, the peeling unit 4 is stored in the outer case 2 at the time of normal issuance. However, as shown in FIG. Be placed. When the peeling is issued, when the platen roller 10 is rotated with the mount PM of the label continuum P sandwiched between the platen roller 10 and the nip roller 4a, the nip roller 4a is driven to rotate, the mount PM is conveyed, and the label is printed from the mount PM. PL is peeled off.

  2 is a space for accommodating a continuous label body P wound in a roll shape, and a pair of guide plates (guide portions) 7a of the paper guide mechanism portion 7 is installed therein. ing. The paper guide mechanism unit 7 is a mechanism unit that supports and guides the label continuous body P according to its width. The guide plate 7a is in contact with both end surfaces in the width direction (short direction) of the roll-shaped label continuous body P, supports the roll-shaped label continuous body P in a rotatable state, and guides the conveyance of the label continuous body P. It is a member. The guide plate 7a is installed in a movable state along the width direction of the label continuum P so that the position can be changed according to the width of the label continuum P.

  Next, the internal structure of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer at the time of normal issuance in FIG. 1A viewed from the side, and FIG. 3B is a diagram of the printer at the time of issuance of peeling in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram.

  Inside the printer 1, a thermal head (printing unit) 25, a wiring board 26, a head bracket 27, and a coil spring 29 are installed on the opposite side of the platen roller 10. The thermal head 25 is a printing unit that prints information such as characters, symbols, figures, barcodes, or the like on the label continuum P. The thermal head 25 faces the platen roller 10 when the opening / closing cover portion 3 is closed. It is mounted on the head bracket 27 via the wiring board 26 in a state where the 25 printing surface is directed to the paper route. On the printing surface of the thermal head 25, a plurality of heating resistors (heating elements) that generate heat when energized are arranged in parallel along the width direction (short direction) of the label continuum P. The wiring board 26 is a wiring board that transmits a print signal sent from a control unit (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the printer 1 to the thermal head 25. The head bracket 27 is a member that holds the thermal head 25 and also holds and releases the opening / closing cover 3, and holds or holds the opening / closing cover 3 opposite to the platen roller 10 when the opening / closing cover 3 is closed. The platen roller 10 is pivotally supported so as to be able to be released and swingable in a direction toward and away from the platen roller 10. The coil spring 29 is a member that urges the thermal head 25 and the head bracket 27 toward the platen roller 10 when the open / close cover portion 3 is closed, and is installed on the back side of the head bracket 27 (the back side of the mounting surface of the wiring board 26). Has been. Since the head bracket 27 is pressed against the platen roller 10 by the biasing force of the coil spring 29, the thermal head 25 is pressed against the platen roller 10 via the label continuous body P, and the open / close cover portion 3 is held by the head bracket 27. The

  Next, an example of the paper guide mechanism unit 7 of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the paper guide mechanism when the guide plate is unfixed in the printer of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the guide plate at the time of unlocking in FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide plate when fixed, FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the guide plate when fixed, and FIG. 9 is a watermark of the operation plate shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the guide plate of FIG. 5, FIG. 11 is a main part configuration diagram of the guide plate viewed from the direction of arrow A5 in FIG. 8, and FIG. (B) is an enlarged perspective view of the engaging portion between the operation plate and the outer case, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a modified example of the guide plate at the time of releasing the fixation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the paper guide mechanism unit 7 includes a pair of guide plates 7a and 7a, a guide plate moving mechanism unit 7b, and a guide plate operating mechanism unit 7c.

  As described above, the guide plate 7a is a support plate that supports both end surfaces in the width direction of the label continuum P, and is installed in a state where the inner side surfaces thereof face each other. Each guide plate 7a, 7a is formed in, for example, a substantially circular plane shape, and can move in a direction approaching and separating from each other.

  The guide plate moving mechanism portion 7b is a mechanism portion for moving the pair of guide plates 7a, 7a toward and away from each other, and includes a pair of leg portions 35, 35, a pair of rack portions 36, 36, And a pinion gear portion 37. Each leg part 35 and 35 is a part which supports each guide plate 7a and 7a, and is integrally molded by each guide plate 7a and 7a. Rack portions 36, 36 are integrally formed on the inner side surfaces of the leg portions 35, 35. Each rack part 36, 36 extends from one leg part 35, 35 toward the other leg part 35, 35 and is installed in a state of facing each other. Between the opposing surfaces of the rack portions 36, 36, a pinion gear portion 37 is installed so as to be rotatable along the installation surface of the guide plate 7a. The rack portions 36 and 36 and the pinion gear portion 37 include a plurality of teeth (unevenness) 36 a formed along the extending direction of the rack portion 36 on the facing surfaces of the rack portions 36 and 36, and a pinion gear portion 37. A plurality of teeth (unevenness: not shown) formed along the outer periphery of each other are engaged with each other. By providing such a guide plate moving mechanism portion 7b, when one guide plate 7a is moved in the width direction of the label continuous body P, one rack portion 36 connected to the one guide plate 7a is also moved in the same direction. Therefore, as a result of the rotation of the pinion gear portion 37 engaged with the rack portion 36, the other rack portion 36 engaged with the pinion gear portion 37 also moves, so that the other connected to the other rack portion 36 The guide plate 7a also moves in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the one guide plate 7a. For this reason, since the label continuum P can be held by the pair of guide plates 7a and 7a at an appropriate position according to the width thereof, the label continuum P can be transported in a stable posture. It has become.

  The guide plate operating mechanism portion 7c is a mechanism portion that operates to fix, release, and move the guide plate 7a. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the operation plate (operating portion) 40 and a torsion spring (biasing force). Means) 41.

  The operation plate 40 is pivotally supported on the outer side surface of one guide plate 7a so as to be swingable about the swing shaft 40a along the side surface. As will be described later, the guide plate 7a is fixed and released by the swing position of the operation plate 40. The position of the swinging shaft 40a that pivotally supports the operation plate 40 does not coincide with the center of the side surface of the guide plate 7a, and is shifted to the leg 35 side from the center of the side surface of the guide plate 7a.

  The operation plate 40 has two wing portions 40b and 40c extending in substantially opposite directions from the swing shaft 40a. An engaging portion 40d is formed on the tip surface of one wing portion 40b. 4, 7 and 12, the engaging portion 40d has a plurality of irregularities along the thickness direction of the operation plate 40 (the moving direction of the guide plate 7a, the width direction of the label continuous body P). Is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the guide plate 7a is engaged with the engagement portion 40d of the operation plate 40 and the engagement portion 42 formed on the installation surface of the guide plate 7a in the outer case 2. It is fixed (see FIGS. 7 to 9). Along the moving direction of the guide plate 7a (the width direction of the label continuous body P) so that the engaging portion 42 in the outer case 2 is fitted into the plurality of protrusions and recesses of the engaging portion 40d of the operation plate 40. A plurality of irregularities are formed. Note that an arrow A6 shown in FIG. 12 indicates the swinging direction of the operation plate 40.

  The other wing part (projection part) 40c extends with a slight inclination in a direction away from the leg part 35 with respect to the one wing part 40b. Due to the inclination of the wing portion 40c and the swing shaft 40a being shifted from the center of the side surface of the guide plate 7a toward the leg portion 35 side, the guide plate 7a protrudes from the outer periphery of the guide plate 7a when the fixing is released. The protruding length of the wing portion 40c (see FIGS. 5 and 6 and the like) is longer than the protruding length of the wing portion 40c (see FIGS. 8 and 9 and the like) protruding from the outer periphery of the guide plate 7a when the guide plate 7a is fixed. be able to. For this reason, when the guide plate 7a is unfixed, the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 can be easily picked. Therefore, the operation plate 40 is picked and the guide plate 7a is easily moved to fit the width of the label continuum P. be able to. That is, the operability of the guide plate 7a can be improved. In addition, the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 40e is formed in the front end surface of the wing | blade part 40c. When the guide plate 7a is fixed, the projection length of the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 is short. However, the operability of the operation plate 40 is ensured even when the guide plate 7a is fixed by providing an uneven portion 40e at the tip of the wing portion 40c. can do.

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 9, 10, and 11, a protrusion 40 f that protrudes toward the guide plate 7 a is formed on the surface of the operation plate 40 that faces the guide plate 7 a. The protrusion 40f is installed in the vicinity of the swing shaft 40a at the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the operation plate 40. A frame portion at one end of the torsion spring 41 is fitted into the protrusion 40f. On the other hand, a protrusion 43 that protrudes toward the operation plate 40 is formed on the surface of the guide plate 7 a that faces the operation plate 40, and the protrusion 43 has a frame portion at the other end of the torsion spring 41. Is fitted. Thereby, the guide plate 7a and the operation plate 40 are engaged via the torsion spring 41 connected to each of them.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, 10 and 11, a guide hole (guide path) 44 is formed on the surface of the guide plate 7a facing the operation plate 40, and the guide hole 44 has an inner surface. The tip of the protrusion 40f of the operation plate 40 is inserted into the front. The guide hole 44 is a hole that guides the movement of the protrusion 40f (that is, the movement of one end of the torsion spring 41) when the operation plate 40 swings, and extends along the movement locus of the protrusion 40f. Yes. The guide hole 44 may not be provided, but by providing the guide hole 44, the operation plate 40 can be rocked in a stable state. Further, it is possible to make it difficult for the torsion spring 41 to come off the convex portion 40f. Furthermore, the thickness when the operation plate 40 and the guide plate 7a are combined can be made thinner than when the guide hole 44 is not provided. A guide groove may be formed instead of the guide hole 44.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the position of the operation plate 40 when the guide plate 7 a is fixed and the protrusion 40 f of the operation plate 40 is disposed at one end of the guide hole 44 is the guide plate fixing position. As shown in FIG. 6, the position of the operation plate 40 when the guide plate 7 a is released and the protrusion 40 f of the operation plate 40 is disposed at the other end of the guide hole 44 is referred to as the guide plate. It is called a fixed release position. When the guide hole 44 is not provided, the position where the operation plate 40 reaches the movement limit when the operation plate 40 is swung to fix the guide plate 7a is referred to as a guide plate fixing position. The position at which the operation plate 40 reaches the movement limit when the operation plate 40 is swung to release the lock is referred to as a guide plate lock release position.

The torsion spring 41 is installed between the guide plate 7 a and the operation plate 40. As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, when the operation plate 40 is in the guide plate fixing position, the torsion spring 41 is in a first urging state that urges the operation plate 40 in the direction in which the guide plate 7a is fixed. As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, when the operation plate 40 is in the guide plate fixing release position, the operation plate 40 is in a second urging state in which the operation plate 40 is urged in a direction to release the fixed state of the guide plate 7a. In addition, the torsion spring 41 is moved between the guide plate fixing position and the guide plate fixing release position by the swing of the operation plate 40 (the protrusion 40f is between the one end and the other end of the guide hole 44). Between the guide plate fixing position and the guide plate fixing release position, at the intermediate point or in the vicinity of the intermediate point. The state is changed between the first biasing state and the second biasing state. For this reason, when the operation plate 40 is moved from the guide plate fixing position (see FIG. 9) to the guide plate fixing release position (see FIG. 6), it is necessary to apply a force to the operation plate 40 and swing it at the start. The biasing state by the torsion spring 41 changes during the swinging of the operation plate 40, and a biasing force is applied to the operation plate 40 in a direction to release the fixed state of the guide plate 7a, so that little force is not applied to the operation plate 40. However, the operation plate 40 moves to the guide plate fixing release position. On the other hand, when the operation plate 40 is moved from the guide plate fixing release position (see FIG. 6) to the guide plate fixing position (see FIG. 9), it is necessary to apply force to the operation plate 40 at the time of start-up to swing. The biasing state by the torsion spring 41 changes during the swinging of the operation plate 40, and a biasing force is applied to the operation plate 40 in a direction to fix the guide plate 7a, so even if not much force is applied to the operation plate 40. The operation plate 40 moves to the guide plate fixing position. That is, in the present embodiment, since the operation plate 40 can be moved to the guide plate fixing position and the guide plate fixing release position by the force of the torsion spring 41, the operation plate 40 can be operated with a light force. Moreover, the guide plate 7a can always be set to either the fixed state or the fixed release state. That is, since the guide plate 7a can be prevented from being halfway between the fixed state and the fixed release state, the operability of the guide plate 7a can be improved.
In the present embodiment, the state is changed between the first urging state and the second urging state at an intermediate point between the guide plate fixing position and the guide plate fixing release position or in the vicinity of the intermediate point. However, the position of changing the first biased state and the second biased state in accordance with the shape of the main body cover and the guide plate, etc., is either the guide plate fixing position or the guide plate fixing release position from the intermediate point. It may be provided close to the crab.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, a fixed protrusion 40 g protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the operation plate 40 is formed in the vicinity of the swing shaft 40 a on the outer periphery of the operation plate 40. The fixed protrusion 40g is formed to be slightly thinner than the thickness of the operation plate 40, and is extended in a predetermined length along the outer periphery of the operation plate 40. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, a fixed recess 45 is formed on the leg 35 side on the outer periphery of the guide plate 7a. The fixing recess 45 on the operation plate 40 side is a portion into which the fixing protrusion 40g of the operation plate 40 is fitted when the operation plate 40 is in the guide plate fixing release position (see FIG. 6 and the like). In the fixed recess 45 on the guide plate 7a side, a recess that is recessed from the center of the guide plate 7a toward the outer periphery is formed in a state extending along the outer periphery of the guide plate 7a. As shown in FIG. 9, when the operation plate 40 is in the guide plate fixing position, the fixed projection 40g of the operation plate 40 is separated from the fixed recess 45 of the guide plate 7a. However, as shown in FIG. When 40 is moved to the guide plate fixing release position, the fixing projection 40g of the operation plate 40 is inserted into and fitted into the fixing recess 45 of the guide plate 7a. As a result, since the operation plate 40 and the guide plate 7a can be firmly fixed when the guide plate 7a is unfixed, the stability when the guide plate 7a is moved in the width direction of the label continuum P by the operation plate 40. Can be improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, an arrow-shaped mark portion 40h indicating a direction in which the guide plate 7a is fixed is provided on the outer side surface of the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 at a position where the guide plate 7a can be visually fixed. You may form by embossing etc. Thereby, it is possible to easily determine the direction in which the operation plate 40 should be moved (the direction in which the guide plate 7a is fixed). The mark portion is not limited to the arrow shape and can be variously changed. For example, the mark portion may be formed by a character, a symbol, a figure, a combination thereof, or the like. Further, the method of forming the mark portion is not limited to embossing, and can be variously changed. For example, the mark portion may be formed of a paint or a hole penetrating in the thickness direction of the operation plate 40. good. When the mark portion is formed by a hole, the mark portion 40h can be visually recognized from the inner side surface or the outer side surface of the guide plate 7a. In addition, deterioration and disappearance of the mark portion 40h can be prevented.

  Next, a method for accommodating the continuous label body P in the paper accommodating portion 6 of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16 are schematic configuration diagrams of the printer when the label continuous body P is accommodated as viewed from the front side.

  First, FIG. 14A shows a state where the label continuum P is not accommodated in the paper accommodating portion 6 of the printer 1. Here, the opening / closing cover 3 is closed. Further, the engaging portion 40d of the tip surface of the wing portion 40b of the operation plate 40 is engaged with the engaging portion 42 of the printer 1, and the guide plate 7a is fixed (see FIGS. 7 to 9). In addition, a concave portion 46 extending from the outside to the inside of the outer case 2 and recessed in a direction away from the operation plate 40 is formed on the inner surface of the outer case 2 facing the operation plate. Yes.

  Subsequently, the cover open button Bp (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the printer 1 is pressed to open the open / close cover portion 3, and then the tip surface of the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 as shown in FIG. When the guide plate 7a is pulled toward the front side (the leg portion 35 side of the guide plate 7a) by placing a finger on the uneven portion 40e, the operation plate 40 is guided by the force of the torsion spring 41 during the swinging of the operation plate 40. Move from the plate fixing position to the guide plate fixing release position. That is, the wing part 40b at the symmetrical position with respect to the oscillating shaft 40a with respect to the wing part 40c (the side on which the finger is in contact) of the operation plate 40 moves in the opposite direction to the wing part 40c. The engaging part 40d of the part 40b is separated from the engaging part 42 of the printer 1, and the fixed state of the guide plate 7a is released. Further, when the operation plate 40 moves to the guide plate fixing release position, the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 is greatly protruded from the outer periphery of the guide plate 7a (see FIGS. 4 to 6). At this time, since the operation plate 40 can be set to the guide plate fixing release position by the force of the torsion spring 41, the operation plate 40 can be operated with a light force. In addition, the pair of guide plates 7a and 7a can be reliably released.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 15A, when one of the guide plates 7a is moved toward the recess 46 by grasping the protruding portion of the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 with a finger, the guide plate 7a is connected to the guide plate 7a. Since one rack portion 36 (see FIG. 4) also moves in the same direction, as the pinion gear portion 37 rotates, the other rack portion 36 engaged with the pinion gear portion 37 moves in the opposite direction. The other guide plate 7 a connected to the rack portion 36 moves in a direction away from the recess 46. At this time, since the protruding length of the operation plate 40 is long, the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 can be easily picked. For this reason, the guide plate 7a can be easily moved so as to fit the width of the label continuum P by grasping the operation plate 40. That is, the operability of the guide plate 7a can be improved. After widening the gap between the pair of guide plates 7a, 7a in this way, the label continuum P is set between the pair of guide plates 7a, 7a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15 (b), when one guide plate 7 a is moved in a direction approaching one end surface in the width direction of the label continuum P by grasping the protruding portion of the wing portion 40 c of the operation plate 40 with a finger, Similarly to the above, the other guide plate 7a also moves in the direction approaching the other end surface in the width direction of the label continuous body P by the action of the rack portion 36 and the pinion gear portion 37, so that the label continuous body P is moved to the pair of guide plates. 7a and 7a can be clamped. At this time, since the recess 46 is formed on the inner side surface of the outer case 2, even if the operation plate 40 is close to the inner side surface of the outer case 2, Since the clearance gap by the recessed part 46 can be formed in between, the wing | blade part 40c of the operation board 40 can be easily picked by the clearance gap. Thereby, since the operation plate 40 can be easily picked, the guide plate 7a can be easily moved according to the width of the label continuum P by picking the operation plate 40. That is, the operability of the guide plate 7a can be improved.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16A, a finger is placed on the concave and convex portion 40e on the tip surface of the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40, and the operation plate 40 is pushed to the opposite side (in a direction away from the leg portion 35). . Then, the operation plate 40 is moved from the guide plate fixing release position to the guide plate fixing position by the force of the torsion spring 41 while the operation plate 40 is swinging. That is, the wing part 40b at the symmetrical position with respect to the oscillating shaft 40a with respect to the wing part 40c (the side on which the finger is in contact) of the operation plate 40 moves in the opposite direction to the wing part 40c. Since the engaging part 40d of the part 40b is engaged with the engaging part 42 of the printer 1, the guide plate 7a is fixed. Further, when the operation plate 40 moves to the guide plate fixing position, the wing portion 40c of the operation plate 40 is retracted (see FIGS. 7 to 9). Also in this case, since the operation plate 40 can be set to the guide plate fixing position by the force of the torsion spring 41, the operation plate 40 can be operated with a light force. In addition, the pair of guide plates 7a and 7a can be securely fixed. Then, as shown in FIG.16 (b), the opening / closing cover part 3 is closed. At this time, since the wing part 40c of the operation plate 40 is retracted, the closing of the opening / closing cover part 3 is not disturbed.

  According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described above. That is, in the technique examined by the inventor, an operation unit for fixing and releasing the guide plate 7a is installed below the label continuum P. Therefore, after the label continuum P is set, the position of the guide plate 7a is changed. Difficult to adjust. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the guide plate 7a is fixed and released by swinging the operation plate 40 along the side surface of the guide plate 7a even after the label continuous body P is stored in the paper storage unit 6. Therefore, the position of the guide plate 7a can be easily adjusted according to the width of the label continuous body P.

  In addition, there is a structure in which the guide plate 7a is fixed and released by moving the operation portion up and down. However, if the guide plate 7a is close to the inner side surface of the outer case 2, the inner portion of the operation portion and the outer case 2 is fixed. It may be difficult to put a finger between the side and the operation unit may be difficult to operate. For this reason, a gap for inserting a finger must be ensured between the operation unit and the outer case 2, which may hinder downsizing of the printer. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the guide plate 7a can be fixed and released only by swinging the operation plate 40 along the side surface of the guide plate 7a, so that the guide plate 7a is fixed and fixed. There is no need to secure a gap for inserting a finger between the operation plate 40 and the outer case 2 in the release operation. For this reason, the printer 1 can be reduced in size.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example in all respects and is limited to the disclosed technology. It is not a thing. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above-described embodiment, but should be construed according to the description of the scope of claims. All modifications are included without departing from the technical scope equivalent to the described technique and the gist of the claims.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the torsion spring 41 is used as the urging means has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be variously modified. For example, a coil spring may be used, rubber, A flexible resin or the like may be used as the elastic member.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 External case 3 Opening / closing cover part 4 Peeling unit part 4a Nip roller 6 Paper storage part 10 Platen roller 25 Thermal head 27 Head bracket 35 Leg part 36 Rack part 37 Pinion gear part 40 Operation plate 40a Oscillating shaft 40b, 40c Wing part 40d Engagement part 40e Concavity and convexity part 40f Protrusion part 40g Fixed protrusion part 40h Mark part 41 Torsion spring 42 Engagement part 43 Protrusion part 44 Guide hole 45 Fixing concave part 46 Concave part P Continuity P Label mount PL

Claims (6)

A housing having an opening formed on one surface;
A print medium accommodating portion for accommodating a print medium in the opening of the housing;
An open / close cover portion pivotally supported by the housing so as to open and close the print medium accommodating portion;
A transport roller for transporting the print medium;
A printing unit provided in a state of being opposed to the conveying roller in the housing, and performing printing on the printing medium;
A guide portion that is provided in the print medium housing portion so as to be movable along a longitudinal direction of the transport roller, and guides the print medium;
An operation unit that is provided so as to be swingable along a side surface of the guide unit, and operates to fix and release the guide unit according to the swing position;
And biasing means for varying the energized by the position of the operation portion between the solid uncertain et fixing canceled or of the guide portion,
With
The guide part and the operation part are engaged via the urging means, and the urging means is in a direction in which the guide part is fixed according to a swinging position of the operation part, or Energize the operation unit in a direction to release the fixed state of the guide unit,
The operating portion has a protruding portion that protrudes from the guide portion when the guide portion is unfixed,
A concave portion recessed outward is provided on a side surface facing the moving direction of the guide portion inside the housing, and the concave portion protrudes when the guide portion is released from the side surface of the housing. A printer, characterized in that it is provided at a position facing the protruding portion . Said biasing means, according to claim 1, characterized in that it is constituted by an elastic member interposed in engaged with said operating portion and said guide portion between the operation portion and the guide portion Printer. Wherein the facing surface of the operating portion in the guide section, a printer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a guide passage for guiding the swinging of the operating unit. The operating portion has a protruding portion protruding from the outer periphery of the guide portion, and the protruding length of the protruding portion is longer when the guide portion is unlocked than when the guide portion is fixed. the printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the marker portion indicating a swinging direction of the operation portion for securing said guide portion provided in the operation portion. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a concave-convex surface on the distal end surface of the operating portion.

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